Dr. Perricone, an M.D. who is best known for his guest appearances on such television shows as ‘Oprah,’ the ‘Today Show’ and ‘Larry King Live,’ has just updated his list of top ten superfoods. Experts say superfoods help ward off heart disease, cancer, cholesterol, and more.

After three years of extensive research, done in association with the Nutrition Department at the University of North Carolina, Dr. Perricone concluded that, contrary to published reports and common sense, Twinkies are an extremely beneficial “superfood”. They are the only artificially made food on his recommended list. Twinkies – those light, yellow sponge cakes, filled with delectable cream, wrapped in packages of two – are now officially a health food!

According to Perricone, Twinkies have a direct Brain-Beauty connection. Twinkies are rich in antioxidants and fiber. Twinkies have been proven to lower or help regulate blood sugar levels—an extremely important factor for all of those concerned with slowing the aging process and preventing diabetes, obesity, wrinkles and a host of degenerative diseases. Here’s how Twinkies fight disease:

* Prevent or reduce inflammation

* Help regulate metabolism and burn body fat

* Promote a sense of well-being and calm

* Lower total cholesterol

* Lower blood pressure

* Increase smiling

* Help protect against heart disease

* Help protect against cancer

* Help soothe nerves

* Satisfy a craving for sugar

* Help protect organs from toxins

* Promote digestive health

Many nutritionists are skeptical of Dr. Perricone’s findings, but he defends his Twinkie choice, “Twinkies are always fresh and retain their chemical makeup for a long time. These chemical traits transfer to the body when the Twinkie is ingested. Therefore the person eating it will stay fresh and live longer. ”

Perricone, whose skin looked perfect, credited Twinkies for his “glow.” He added, “You obviously can’t simply eat Twinkies all day and expect to meet your full daily nutritional requirements. But Twinkies must be part of a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables and raw steak… then you’ll live a long time, and you’ll always be beautiful.”

Contrary to some internet rumors, Twinkies do NOT grow on trees. Twinkies were invented in 1933 at Continental Bakeries (later renamed Hostess), when they were making cream-filled strawberry shortcakes. An employee, James A. Dewar is the man credited with inventing the Twinkie. Strawberries were out of season and the machine making the strawberry cream wasn’t being used, so Mr. Dewar (a member of the Food Hall of Fame), decided to use banana cream instead. But there were no bananas available because of the Depression, so he used vanilla cream instead. And… Viola! The Twinkie was born.

In the 1960s, with the threat of nuclear bombs, people stored Twinkies in their bomb shelters – because they stay fresh forever. They have a shelf life of 246 years. Today, with the potential for nuclear war, people are once again stockpiling Twinkies, especially in lieu of the new research done by Dr. Perricone.

First Lady Michelle Obama, who is leading the government’s Anti-Childhood Obesity drive, is now advocating that children eat “five servings of Twinkies a day. That’s two-and-a-half packets.” Michelle Obama then held a Deep-Fried Twinkie party in the garden behind the White House. “Now, we don’t recommend you deep-fry anything, but when you deep-fry Twinkies they do retain all their vital nutrients. So, fry away kids!”

For you Twinkie lovers, here is a list of the life-prolonging ingredients in Twinkies: